


A Heart Of Books

by angvlicmish



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bookstores, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 14:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14451333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angvlicmish/pseuds/angvlicmish
Summary: Castiel works at a bookstore and recommends Dean LGBT+ books.





	A Heart Of Books

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back!
> 
> Here's a small, meandering story filled with books, fluff and lots of blushing! Hope you enjoy!

**April**

 

The rattle of the old bell alerts Castiel to a new customer. He looks up from the box of new releases to see two boys. One's tall with floppy long hair and looks as though he might be in his last year of high school. Castiel's pretty sure he's seen him in here before. The other looks older - maybe around the same age as Castiel - a leather jacket on with worn black boots. He might as well have been the bad boy love interest who walked straight out of a cliché young adult book.

He goes back to opening up the latest box of books they've received, occasionally sneaking glances over to the boys. They speak in hushed tones, the older boy pointing towards the counter and - actually, it seems to be somewhat of an argument. Castiel wonders what it could possibly be about. This is a bookstore after all. Surely nothing to get too heated over. A few minutes later he watches as the younger boy finally gives in, sighing and makes his way over to the counter.

The older boy stays where he is, his eyes scanning the shelves but Castiel notices the distinct tapping of his foot on the carpet.

"Excuse me," the younger boy starts, Missouri looking over from the computer to give him a smile.

"Yes, my dear."

"I was just wondering if you could give me a few recommendations." That's it? That's what they were arguing over? Castiel frowns. Maybe the older boy has anxiety or is too shy to do it himself.

"Of course. Do you have a specific genre you were looking for?" Missouri asks, leaning forward on the counter. The younger boy nods.

"Um - LGBT." Oh. Missouri smiles.

"Castiel?" Castiel pretends as though he hasn't been listening to the whole conversation.

"Yes?" he responds, placing the books back down in the box.

"LGBT recommendations for this young sir." Castiel nods, standing and wiping his sweaty palms on his black jeans. "Castiel over there will be able to help you." Missouri points the younger boy over to Castiel before going back to the computer.

The younger boy walks over to him with a quick smile. "So, did you want anything specific? Gay, lesbian, transgender--"

"Gay," the boy says, and Castiel nods. "Or - uh - bisexual."

"Are these for you?" Castiel asks, not able to hide his curiosity.

The boy's eyes quickly flick over to the older boy - who is now in another section of the shop, his back to them and probably far enough away that he can't hear them talk. "No, they're for my brother. He just came out." Castiel narrows his eyes. Is that really something he should be telling Castiel without his brother's permission? He doesn't exactly seem open about it. The young boy seems to sense his worry though. "Oh, no. It's fine. It went well. He's just still kind of awkward about it, I guess."

Castiel smiles, sympathetically. "I understand the feeling." It was awkward for a little while, his parents accepting and supportive but still - the air felt stilted inside his house for the first few weeks. He looks to the older boy. Definitely not straight out of a cliché young adult book.

"Is this his first time reading LGBT books?" Castiel asks, walking over to one of their shelves.

"Yeah, so maybe something light. And I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. He's still just… "

"Don't worry. I completely understand." Castiel reaches up to the top shelf and pulls down Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. "This one should be great for him to start with. There is three relationships, one of which is gay but they don't get together until the second book. It's also very action packed so if that's something he likes then I'd definitely recommend it."

The younger boy takes it from his hand. "Sounds awesome. Thanks - um…"

"Castiel. But you can call me Cas."

"Cool. Thanks, Cas. Hopefully we'll be back soon to get the next one." Castiel huffs a laugh.

"I hope so," Castiel responds before turning and walking back over to the new box of books he was unpacking. He watches the younger boy buy the book at the counter before waving over to Dean and then they're out the door. Castiel frowns.

Poor guy. Hopefully he'll feel more confident about himself soon.

It's only when Castiel's riding his bike home that afternoon that he realises he forgot to get either of their name's.

 

**May**

 

Castiel's surprised to see the older boy walk into the bookshop a few weeks later, let alone walk in by himself. He watches, not so subtly, from behind the counter as the older boy walks over to the shelf where Castiel had recommended the first book to his brother. The older boy doesn't stand there for long, his eyes scanning along the shelves until he finds something. He reaches up to the top shelf and pulls down the second and last book in the series he'd recommended.

Castiel tries to restrain his smile and glues his eyes back to the computer when the older boy starts to head over to the counter. Castiel looks up and greets him with a small smile like he would do with any other customer and if he blushes a little under the gaze of this very handsome boy then no one has to notice. Well. One can hope no one does.

"Just this one thanks," the boy says, placing the book on the counter. Castiel clears his throat, gathering up the courage to say something.

"So, I'm gathering you liked the first one." Castiel peeks up through his glasses as he scans the book through.

The boy smiles. "Uh, yeah. It was really good. You're Cas, right? The one who recommended it?" Castiel feels the tips of his ears go red.

"Yeah, that's me. And you are?" The boy smiles again but this time it's lopsided and almost…shy.

"Dean." Castiel smiles back.

"Well, Dean, that comes to sixteen ninety-nine." Dean bites his lip, looking down at the counter top as he fishes his wallet out and swipes his credit card. "Would you like a bag?"

"Nah, it's fine," Dean says, taking the book from the counter. "Thanks, Cas."

"Anytime," Castiel blurts out, swivelling on his seat like a twelve year old. Dean gives him one last smile before he's out the door.

Castiel smiles at the computer in front of him. What was he doing again? Castiel looks up when Missouri sits down beside him. She gives him one of her knowing looks. Castiel feels his cheeks heat and looks away.

 

**June**

 

Summer comes around quickly this year, Castiel not at all feeling like half the year is already gone. His parents have gone away - a trip to the beach, leaving Castiel behind to work and do his summer subject at university. He doesn't mind. He likes having the time to himself. He also likes whenever Dean and Sam come into the bookstore.

They've been in a few times since Dean's lone visit in May. Dean hasn't even asked for any recommendations or bought any more books. Sam seems to be the one after something but Dean always comes over to where he is and asks how he is. It's enough to make Castiel's stomach knot and palms sweat - thankfully covered up by the summer heat.

Castiel also saw him once more sitting at a café with what looked like a few friends of his. He had been walking by when he'd spotted Dean. Dean had spotted him back a few moments later and shot him a smile. Castiel had embarrassingly given him a small wave before walking faster and out of sight of the boy.

Missouri had given him some more of those looks - much like now, Castiel raising his eyebrows at her from where he's putting some new books on the shelves. She rolls her eyes and points behind him. Castiel turns, nearly dropping some of the books stacked high in his arms as Dean stops in front of him.

"Oh, shit. Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Dean says, reaching out to grab some of the books out of Castiel's arms that look like they could fall any second.

"No, it's fine. I'm probably trying to do too much at once anyway." Castiel manages to hold onto the rest, turning his eyes back to the shelf when he asks, "Did you need any help finding something?"

Dean rubs his free hand over the back of his neck and toes his boots against the floor - which Castiel finds nothing but endearing - and nods. "Yeah, I was wondering if you could recommend me something else?"

"Of course," Castiel responds, shelving a few of the books in his arms. "Were you still looking for LGBT books?"

Dean blushes at that. "Uh, yeah," he says, voice much smaller than before as he hands the last of the books over for Castiel to re-shelve. Castiel remembers back to when he first started reading LGBT books. He remembers feeling embarrassed about it, wishing that no one picked up on what the book he bought was about. It always makes him sad now. No one should have to feel like that.

"Ok, well, my next recommendation would be Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe - hold on, let me just finish putting these back." Castiel reaches up to the top shelf and puts the last of the books away before turning over to another shelf, scanning along quickly and finding the book mentioned. When he turns, Dean is right there behind him, closer than before and for some reason Castiel feels the tips of his ears turning red.

"What's this one about?" Dean asks, and Castiel can't handle the way Dean's big, green eyes are intensely trained on him so he looks down towards the book and starts to speak.

"Oh, it's about two boys who meet and become best friends and eventually fall in love. I mean, it's sort of a coming of age story. There's a lot about sexuality but also family too. It's also own voices which is a plus and it's written in such a beautiful way that - " Castiel stops when he looks back up to Dean. The other boy is smiling, an amused look in his eyes. "I'm rambling. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine, really. I like it, you know, how you speak so passionately about it." Castiel huffs, looking down at the book in his hands.

"Well, this book means a lot to me, so." It was one of the first books he ever read where the main relationship was a gay relationship. He'd cried a lot at the end.

"Hey," Dean starts, gaining Castiel's attention again, "did you want to - I don't know - maybe grab something to eat next door sometime or - you know - whenever you get off?"

If Castiel wasn't blushing before, he is now. "Oh. Um - " Castiel looks down and now he's the one toeing his shoes against the floor. "Yes, I would like that."

Dean grins. "Great. When did you…"

"Oh, I can do just after one if that's alright with you. That's when my shift ends."

Dean nods. "Sounds good to me. I'll come back down in a few hours and meet you outside."

"Okay," Castiel replies, trying his hardest not to grin like an idiot. "Did you still want to get this one?" Castiel gestures to the book he's holding.

"Oh, yeah. 'Course," Dean says, smiling before following Castiel to the counter. Castiel wills his blush to go down by the time he gets there but it doesn't do much. They don't say anything extra as Dean pays but whenever Castiel glances up at him, Dean is already glancing back.

Dean gives him a small wave, says he'll see Castiel later and then he's gone. Castiel nearly deflates against the counter. He certainly wasn't prepared for this. If he was, he would've at least tried to comb his hair or wear his nice converse shoes not the ratty ones he's wearing now.

Time seems to go quickly when Castiel doesn't want it to. Not that he doesn't want to see Dean but he's afraid he'll make a fool of himself. He seems to be prone to doing that, especially in front of people he likes.

He's just pulled his bag over his head and attempted to flatten his hair down when Missouri walks over. "Going on a date with that young boy, I see," she says, eyebrows raised and arms crossed over her chest.

"It's not a date," Castiel responds too quickly. He collects himself before continuing but knows he's already failed his argument. "It's just - he just wanted to get something to eat is all."

"I don't know about you, honey, but where I come from that's called a date. Have fun." She winks and turns, leaving Castiel even more nervous than before. Does Dean think of this as a date? He guesses he'll just have to wait and see.

Dean's already standing outside, looking up and smiling when he sees Castiel. "Hey," he starts, Castiel smiling in response. "Ah - did you want to sit inside or outside?"

"Maybe inside, if that's okay with you."

"Sure thing."

The 'date' is a little awkward at first. But as soon as they finish ordering their food, Dean seems to have a list of questions to ask, Castiel asking the same back. He finds out Dean's doing a physiotherapy course at university, to which Castiel responds, "Apparently physio is really hard. You must be pretty smart to be doing that."

And when Dean ducks his head and says, "It's not that hard. I mean, there are a lot smart people in my class but I'm not really one of them," before quickly changing topics. Castiel smiles to himself and thinks it's adorable.

An hour and a half passes in what feels like ten minutes and while he still has nervous butterflies fluttering around in his stomach every time Dean looks at him - which is basically the whole time - he finds himself not wanting it to end. When Dean says he's walking home and Castiel - who rides his bike to work every day - suggests he can walk his bike with him, he has to try extra hard to supress how excited he is when Dean agrees.

They stop at the end of Dean's street that is only three away from Castiel's. It's weird to think that Dean lives so close and yet, Castiel has never seen him before. Or maybe he has but never really noticed. No, he definitely would've noticed a boy this beautiful.

"Well, thanks for, you know, having lunch with me," Dean says, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Thank you for asking me. I had a good time." Castiel smiles and Dean smiles back.

"Me, too. Maybe we could do this some other time?" Castiel bites his lip, scuffing his shoes against the pavement before nodding.

"Yes, I would like that." Dean's face lights up.

"Great. Uh - I guess I'll see you around, Cas."

"Yeah, see you later." And then Dean's turning and walking off down his street, looking like he has an extra skip in his step. Castiel stares for a few moments before he realises he probably looks like a major creep and quickly hops on his bike and rides off.

It's going to be a nice summer.

 

**July**

 

The bus isn't as full today, Castiel easily finding a seat just in front of the back doors so he can get out easily. He slumps down in his seat, tired from a long day at university. Not that he did anything strenuous. It was just one of those days.

He places one headphone in his ear and scrolls through his playlist before choosing a song and relaxing back to look out the window. Luckily for Castiel, his university and house aren't far from each other. It only takes thirty minutes tops if they stop at every stop along the way for him to get there and back.

They stop in the city, Castiel not even looking over to see who gets on. He can see two people walking up the aisle out of the corner of his eye. He doesn't look over when one sits down beside him but he most definitely does when a familiar voice says, "Hey, Cas."

Castiel turns, a smile already pulling at his lips. "Dean."

"I didn't know you caught this bus," Dean replies.

"Yeah, I catch it to and from uni." Dean raises his eyebrows.

"In summer?"

"I'm doing a summer subject." Dean nods in acknowledgement.

"Huh. We must always miss each other."

"Where are you coming from?" Castiel asks, wrapping up his headphones and shoving them inside his pocket.

"Oh, I was just meeting a friend for lunch in the city." Dean pauses, looking up to most likely see whether they're near their stop or not yet, before going on. "Hey, I was gonna come down to the bookshop tomorrow. You got any recommendations for me?"

Castiel smiles. "Of course. I'll have them ready for you to look at tomorrow."

They get off at their stop together, walking down the street, arms brushing when they get too close.

A lot has happened since their first 'date'. They went on two more, one at the end of June and one sometime in the middle of July. Castiel had run into Dean a few more times as well, and they'd both stopped and had small chats before going on their way. And of course, Dean had been to the bookshop twice more, once with his brother and once by himself.

Even Castiel's mother and father caught on, teasing him when he finally gave in and told them he'd been going to lunch with another boy from the neighbourhood.

They stop at the end of his own street and for the first time in his life, Castiel wishes the walk from his street to his bus stop was longer.

"I'll probably come in around eleven tomorrow. Will you be there then?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, I'll be there from eight until three." Dean whistles.

"Shit, that's a long shift. How do you survive?" Castiel shrugs.

"It helps that I'm working somewhere I like," he answers.

"Yeah, I guess."

"And it helps even more when you come in." Castiel doesn't know how he found the courage to say that but now Dean's cheeks are turning pink and he's looking anywhere but Castiel.

"Well…" Dean opens his mouth a few times before finding any words. "I should probably come in more often, then." Castiel smiles, averting his own eyes to the ground for a moment to bite his lip.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow with those recommendations," Castiel says, looking back up to find Dean's already looking at him.

"Uh, yeah. 'Course. I'll see you tomorrow." Dean gives him one last smile before turning and crossing the road.

Castiel walks the rest of the way home with a smile on his face.

 

**August**

 

When the clock reads eleven the next day, Castiel starts to fidget.

About a month ago Castiel had seen the advertisements for their city's Diverse Writer's Festival. He'd been itching to ask Dean if he wanted to go with Castiel but hadn't been able to build up the courage. He knows it shouldn't be a big deal and his parents keep pestering him about whether he's asked or not but it feels different to when they go and have lunch next door.

The bell sounds and Castiel looks over to the door. Cue nervous butterflies.

Dean walks right up to him and places his hands on the counter. "So, what you got?"

Cue Castiel rambling. He's out of breath by the time he's finished talking about the five own voices novels he has stacked behind the counter. Dean doesn't interrupt once and even has this amused smile on his face the whole time, which only makes Castiel lose track of what he was talking about twice.

Dean eventually settles on another of Castiel's favourites, We Are The Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson.

Castiel's scanning it through when he finally builds up the courage. "Hey, Dean?"

Dean quirks an eyebrow. "Yes, Cas." Castiel nervously returns a smile before looking pointedly at the computer as though he's doing something.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come to this diverse writer's festival with me." He tries his hardest to make it sound like he doesn't care if Dean can or not. He tries his hardest to sound like he's not desperate for Dean to say yes. "It's quite a while away yet but I just thought I'd ask because tickets go on sale soon. It's thirty bucks a head and it's at the convention centre just down by the river. You don't have to come if you don't want to but I just thought I'd ask to see if you were interested." Castiel finally looks up, his heart beating a little faster in his chest and his cheeks a littler redder from embarrassment.

Dean has another one of those amused smiles on his face. He raises his eyebrows and nods. "Yeah, why not?" Castiel grins and Dean's smile gets even bigger.  
  
"Great. That's great. I'll - uh - text you the details." Castiel pushes the book over the counter as Dean fetches for his wallet and pays up.

"Sure thing. I look forward to it." Dean leaves with a wink and Castiel stares after him for a minute too long before he gathers himself and gets back to work.

 

**September**

 

Castiel's on his way to Dean's house to meet him before they make their way to the bus stop. His stomach is already tied in knots. Time really flew the past month or so because it's finally here. Well, it doesn't really seem like a big deal on the outside - it is just a writer's festival - but for Castiel, it's a whole day spent with Dean. He's only ever spent a few hours with him, having lunch at the café outside the bookstore.

He would never admit it but he's been counting down to the event ever since Dean said yes to going with him. He doesn't even know what he expects out of the day. He just really wants to spend time with Dean. And as a bonus, the writer's festival is one of his favourite events of the year.

Castiel wipes his palms on his jeans when he turns into Dean's street. Dean's waiting for him on the porch when he gets there and wastes no time before bounding down towards him.

"All set?" Dean asks, and Castiel nods. They're on their way.

The bus only takes twenty minutes to get there - perks of living near the city - and Dean's surprised when they hop off to find a large crowd of people milling around at the front of the convention centre.

"I didn't realise it was so popular," Dean says, as they hop in line to enter.

"It gets bigger every year." Dean raises his eyebrows.

"You've been here before?"

"I went last year," Castiel answers, and Dean nods, impressed.

"So, where do you want to go first?" By the time they get to the front of the line, they've figured out their schedule for the day. Dean, apparently, doesn't care where they go, saying, "It's your day. You decide."

Castiel's heart swells at those words, although he continuously asks Dean to make sure that he really doesn't want to go to anything in particular. They get through with their tickets and are finally able to walk inside. It's a relief to feel the cool air hit their skin.

Dean pulls out the guide they were given. "Alright. So, where's room 6B? That's the first one we're going to right?" Castiel nods and they quickly figure out where they're going before Dean puts it away. Castiel's having a quick look around before they head off when a hand reaches for his own.

Castiel looks down to see Dean's hand intertwined with his. A blush spreads across his cheeks and when he looks up Dean's smiling. "C'mon." He tugs at Castiel's hand. "We'll miss the start if we don't go now."

Castiel lets himself be dragged along, all the while distinctly aware of the warmth emanating from Dean's hand. When they do get to the first panel, he starts to think that maybe it was a bad idea to bring Dean along - he can't concentrate one bit on what the author is saying with Dean's arm around him.

The panel flies by and finally Dean's arm is gone - a small relief only lasting a few moments before Dean is taking his hand again and dragging him out to another room for the next panel Castiel wants to see.

But by the second panel he seems to get used to it for he actually finds himself listening to the author on stage. Well, listening for maybe a third of it. Or a quarter of it. Something like that.

The next stop is lunch. They line up for one of the food stands, Dean insisting on paying even though Castiel argues it should be the other way around. Finding a space on the floor, they sit - Castiel crossing his legs and Dean stretching out - and dig in to their food.

"Are you having fun so far?" Dean asks, as he spreads their map out in front of Castiel.

Castiel offers a small smile. "I am. Are you?"

"Yeah, I am actually. I probably never would've come to this if I hadn't met you, so I'd say I'm pretty happy with myself." Castiel feels a flutter of something inside his chest.

"Well, I'm happy to hear that."

Dean nods, looking like he's contemplating something for a moment before he asks, "Which year is better so far? This year or last year?"

Castiel huffs, looking down at the floor. "Depends."

"On what?"

Castiel meets Dean's eyes again. "On whether you're asking about the festival itself or who I went with." Dean blushes, having been caught and looks away to run a hand over the back of his neck.

"Well…who did you go with last year?" Dean asks, attempting to look uninterested.

"No one. I went by myself." Dean laughs and Castiel's eyebrows pull together.

"Okay, well, I'd hope that your company is better this year."

Castiel smiles, leaning slightly over to bump his shoulder against Dean's. "It's not too bad."

Dean's eyes shine.

They go to two more panels after lunch and Castiel feels himself relaxing more and more each time into Dean's side. If Dean notices, he certainly doesn't say anything, although the little smiles Castiel catches when he looks over every once in a while, say enough.

The bookstore that is set up in the middle of the centre is their last stop. It's a surprise to Castiel when Dean ends up buying one. On the other hand, it's not a surprise to Dean when Castiel ends up buying four.

Castiel can feel the fatigue taking him over as they board the bus and he feels himself dropping off a few times along the way. Dean - noticing - moves his arm to curl Castiel closer into him. Even though he's tired, he still can't supress the smile that pulls at his lips.

The twenty or so minutes pass quickly enough and Castiel and Dean are walking hand and hand to the end of his street. Castiel's about to let go when Dean's hand squeezes his own.

"You're tired. Let me walk you home." Castiel doesn't protest at all, wanting to spend every last minute with Dean that he can get. It's not too far and much to Castiel's disappointment, they're at his door, hands parted and the day with Dean is over.

"Thank you for coming with me today. I had a lot of fun," Castiel says, clasping his hands awkwardly in front of him.

Dean nods. "Yeah, me too. I'm really glad you asked." Castiel bites his lip, looking down at the ground to hide the blush that is creeping its way up his neck.

"I'll see you soon, then?"

"Yeah, of course. I'll text you," Dean responds, and Castiel nods, his eyes flicking back up to Dean before landing on the ground again. Castiel sees Dean step forward and then there's a press of lips to his cheek. Castiel looks up and Dean's now the one avoiding Castiel's gaze.

"See ya, Cas," Dean says, quicker and softer than before, just as he turns and walks back down Castiel's short driveway. Castiel stands where he is for a minute - maybe more - his heart beating ever so slightly faster in his chest. Dean just kissed him on the cheek.

Dean just kissed him on the cheek.

Castiel smiles wider than he has all day and can't seem to stop. Warmth fills his chest and he nearly laughs with joy.

He attempts to gather himself before heading inside, which really means attempting to stop smiling and willing his cheeks to stop burning. It's a poor attempt as his mother has that knowing glint in her eye practically as soon as she sees him.

"You're home! So, how was it?" she asks, and Castiel still feels a bit too dazed after what just happened to answer properly right now.

"Uh - yeah. It was good."

"I see you got some books."

"Yeah. I, um, I might actually just go upstairs and have a rest. I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Of course. You can fill us in at dinner." His mother smiles and Castiel returns it before heading upstairs. He flops down on his bed and sighs. He gazes at the ceiling, his cheek still warm from Dean's kiss.

 

**October**

 

A knock at the door has Castiel off the couch and running towards it. He takes a deep breath to calm himself before opening it up. Dean stands behind it, his eyes lighting up when he sees Castiel.

It's the first time that Dean's actually going to come inside his house. Castiel had been contemplating it for a while - asking Dean over to his place - and it was last week that he finally went for it. Although, he felt awkward asking if Dean wanted to just come over for no reason so he made it sound a little better by asking if maybe Dean wanted to come over for a little while in the afternoon before going out to see a movie.

Dean seemed quite enthusiastic about it and all of Castiel's worries had washed away.

He ushers Dean inside, quickly introducing him to his father who is sitting on the couch before whisking Dean upstairs.

Dean whistles when he enters Castiel's room. "This is nice."

"Oh, thank you," Castiel responds, closing the door behind him. Dean walks straight over to the bookshelf.

"Man, you have a lot of books." Dean picks one off the shelf and points at it with an impressed look. Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

"I'm assuming you liked that one," Castiel says, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

"Yeah, it was…it was nice." Dean looks at the book's cover before sliding it back on the shelf. "I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that you have it," Dean goes on, sitting down next to Castiel, "considering it means so much to you."

Warmth fills his chest. "You remembered?"

Dean gives him a look Castiel can't quite make out. "Of course."

"Well, yeah, I mean, I guess you know why now that you've read it. Everything from the writing to the coming out and the development of their friendship was just so, well, beautiful. And I don't think I've ever cried at a happy ending before but just the way--" Castiel stops when he sees the fond look in Dean's eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling again."

Dean shakes his head. "No, it's fine. I like hearing you talk." Dean blushes when Castiel smiles. "Uh - you know, talking about things you like. And, you know, just in general because I like you." He clears his throat. "A lot. Obviously." Castiel bites his lip avoiding his eyes for a moment.

"I like you too," Castiel responds, his voice softer now. Dean smiles, nodding and Castiel notices how close they're sitting.

"Can I…ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Would it be okay if I kissed you?" Heat spreads across Castiel's cheeks and he ducks his head to avert Dean's gaze. His heart pounds a little faster in his chest. Castiel peeks back up through his glasses, a shy smile on his face, and nods.

Dean returns the smile, his hand reaching up to brush his fingers over Castiel's cheek. He leans in slowly, his eyes flicking from Castiel's own eyes to his lips as if to continuously ask if it's okay. Castiel's hands grip tighter on the side of the bed when his eyes finally slip closed and Dean's lips meet his own.

In most cheesy books Castiel has read, when the two characters kiss it is explained as a bolt of electricity shooting through your body or it explains how your heart skips a beat.

But it's not like that at all. Dean's lips are soft and warm. His fingers curl underneath Castiel's jaw. There's a little flutter inside his chest and the tension in his stomach releases until he's melting into Dean.

It's much better than it's described in those books. He's not sure he would have liked electricity shooting through his body anyway. It doesn't really sound all that pleasant.

Dean pulls away with a barely contained smile, his hand not moving from Castiel's jaw. Castiel huffs a laugh, wiping his palms on his jeans. Dean brushes his hand through Castiel's hair.

"You're beautiful, by the way," Dean says. Castiel definitely has to look away then, and when he looks back up Dean's grinning from ear to ear.

"And you're very handsome yourself." Dean chuckles lightly and shakes his head before focusing back on Castiel.

"Can I kiss you again?"

"You really don't have to ask," Castiel says, and Dean leans forward.

"I'll take that as a yes." Their lips meet again and it might even be better than the first.

The movie is good and they have a fun time but it's definitely not the best part of the night.

Dean walks Castiel home, the cinema closer to Castiel's street than Dean's. It's dark and cool out, a relief from the heat of the day. Castiel doesn't mind the heat of Dean's hand in his own though.

"So…did you have a good time?" Dean asks, as they come to a stop before Castiel's door. Castiel smiles not letting go of Dean's hand.

"I did. And you?"

Dean cocks his head. "I think you know the answer." Castiel doesn't even try to contain the smile on his face when Dean steps slightly closer. Castiel looks up through his lashes, marvelling at the boy in front of him. Dean's hands lightly caress Castiel's waist, curling around to rest on his lower back. Castiel's own hands curl in Dean's shirt and he closes his eyes just before their lips meet.

He exhales against Dean, melting into his lips - his chest - his hands. Castiel's hands trail up Dean's chest and find themselves playing with the hairs at the back of his neck. Dean hums and pulls Castiel impossibly closer. He rests their foreheads together lightly when they part. Dean's eyes are bright in the dark.

It's definitely better than those stupid, sappy romance stories.

 

**November**

 

Even in Winter, it's too hot for them to lie in the sun. So, they lie in their usual spot in the shade of a large tree. The park is nearly deserted today. Only a few people wandering around with their dogs.

Castiel and Dean lie on a picnic rug they brought. Castiel's reading his book with Dean lying beside him, eyes closed and one arm slung over Castiel's waist.

The alarm on Castiel's phone going off has Dean groaning beside him. Castiel smiles, putting his book down and pushing himself up to a sitting position. Dean groans even louder. "No, it's not time to go, is it?"

"Yep. Time to go," Castiel responds, putting his book away in his bag.

"Just stay a little longer." The arm around Castiel's waist pulls him down again. Castiel huffs.

"That's what happened last time remember. And I was late." Dean's eyebrows pull together.

"Pfft, you weren’t late."

Castiel's eyes widen in disbelief and he pushes himself up again. "I was fifteen minutes late, thank you. And I've never been fifteen minutes late. You're corrupting me." Dean pushes himself up until he's sitting next to Castiel.

"If being fifteen minutes late to something is corrupting you then I'm doing a poor job of it." Castiel gives him an unimpressed look. Dean raises his hands in defence. "Well, I can't help keeping you for a little bit longer." Dean leans forward into Castiel's personal space. "I just like you too much," he whispers, before planting a sloppy kiss on Castiel's cheek and nudging Castiel's glasses slightly ajar.

"Gross, Dean." Castiel shoves him away, wiping the wetness from his face and adjusting his glasses. "I don't want your slobber all over me." Dean raises his eyebrows.

"Fine. How about this?" Dean leans in again, this time taking Castiel's chin between his thumb and forefinger and planting a soft and quick - and definitely not slobbery - kiss right on his lips. Castiel smiles. Dean hums. "You can't resist me either."

Castiel rolls his eyes and shoves Dean away. "Yes, I can. We're going now. C'mon, get up." Dean groans again but complies, standing and starting to pack up.

"Hey, you should come over tomorrow night," Dean says, as they walk into the store, the old bell rattling overhead. Castiel catches the eye of Missouri and nods. "I'm cooking up some mean burgers 'cause Mum and Dad are out and I think Sam wants to talk to you about some book. God, why did I have to fall for a nerd."

Castiel chuckles, making his way behind the front desk and stashing his bag away. "Why did I have to fall for someone who slobbers all over me?" Dean leans over the front of the counter, a smug look on his face.

"You weren’t complaining yesterday." Dean winks and a blush immediately rises on Castiel's cheeks as he remembers their impromptu make out session on Dean's own bed.

"Shut up."

"I'm just speaking the truth here."

"Dean," Castiel urges, raising his eyebrows and nodding over Dean's shoulder. Dean seems to catch on, standing and moving out of the way as two girls approach the counter. Castiel can still see Dean smirking from the corner of his eye. "Good morning. How may I help you?"

"Uh - hi," the older girl starts. "I was wondering if you could help us with some recommendations?" Castiel smiles.

"Of course. Did you have any certain genre you were looking for?" The girl looks down at the other one standing a little behind her, eyes down to the floor.

"Yeah. Um, do you have any LGBT coming of age books or something like that?" Castiel lights up, his eyes flicking towards Dean.

"Definitely. Just head to that section over there," he says, pointing them in the right direction, "And I'll be with you in just a second."

The taller girl nods her thanks and the two of them start to head over. Dean lets out a deep breath from where he's standing. "I would say don't fall in love with her but I don't know if she's your type." Dean grins.

Castiel rolls his eyes. "You can leave now."

Dean presses a hand to his heart, mouth open in mock hurt. "I can't give you another slobbery kiss?"

"You can get one this afternoon," Castiel responds, rounding the counter.

"Oh, you're dropping by this afternoon?" Dean wiggles his eyebrows.

Castiel crosses his arms over his chest. "I might if you're good and leave this store right now." Dean grins.

"Okay, well if that's the case, I'm outta here," he says, and before Castiel can stop him he leans in and plants a quick kiss on Castiel's cheek. "See you later, beautiful!" Dean raises a hand to wave as he dashes out of the store.

Castiel shakes his head and turns to see the two girls flipping through a few books on the shelf. The smaller girl's eyes light up when she finds one. Castiel recognises it from here. Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour. A lesbian young adult romance filled with mystery, movies, and, obviously, romance.

He remembers Dean's first time in the store. The way he had hidden in the other shelves as Sam had asked for a book for him. And now he's planting kisses on Castiel's cheek and calling him beautiful in the middle of the store.

The smaller girl taps the arm of the taller girl and shows her the book. The girl smiles and says something that Castiel can't quite hear but it brings joy to the smaller girl's face.

It warms Castiel's heart. God, he loves books. 

**Author's Note:**

> Reblog it [here](http://angvlicmish.tumblr.com/post/173354299066/a-heart-of-books-ao3-summary-castiel-works-at-a) on my tumblr!
> 
> Comment below or leave some kudos if you enjoyed! Thanks so much for reading ♥


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